Saturday, December 28, 2013

Changing Traditions and a Borrowed Christmas Tree

When I was growing up, I was the kid who was big on tradition. My
sisters and I always went to my grandparents house the week before
Christmas. We decorated their tree, went Christmas shopping for our
parents, and enjoyed our (usually) warm Florida Christmas. My parents
came driving in on Christmas Eve and the festivities began. I loved
traditions! Little did I know all those years ago that my adult life
would be focused around constantly changing traditions. In our early
years of married life, we managed to form some family traditions, but
then
things changed a few years ago when God called us to a different life in
a different place.

Christmas 2010 - Our last Christmas in our home in South Carolina

Christmas 2011- Our last Christmas (for a while) in the USA

Last
year was our first Christmas in Mexico. Christmas in Puebla, Mexico
was beautiful...the lights, the music, the firecrackers (okay, maybe not
the firecrackers). We knew we were going to be moving many times that
year and didn't want to invest in a tree and decorations that we'd have
to pack up and carry around with us. I decided to get crafty and make a
felt tree that we could decorate and then roll up and take with us! It
worked for the first year (everything was still new and exciting to the
kids).

Our felt tree and homemade Christmas PJ's 2012!

Fast
forward a year...after a long year of moving around, the kids are ready
to have a home (which will actually become a reality in the next few
months). We decided to spend Christmas at our training center in Oaxaca
since other families with kids would be here as well. After digging
around our storage room and finally finding our small bag of
decorations, we set up our felt tree again. The kids were happy to have
it up, but every now and then one would ask, "When can we have a real
tree with lights and decorations?" There is just something about
having a tree.

Our first Christmas tree sighting of the season in Metepec 2013.

After posting something about our decorations on Facebook, a sweet
friend offered to lend us her tree since she and her husband would be
spending Christmas in the States with their children. It was such a
thoughtful offer, and we decided to surprise the kids. They were very
surprised. They both kept saying over and over again that this was
going to be the best Christmas ever! Who knew a tree could be such a big blessing!

Decorating "our" tree

I think Kieran could have decorated it all night.

We even printed off a star for the top!

The
other night when I was putting Kieran to bed, he told me that the best
thing about Christmas was making sweet memories together. I think that
is a great perspective. We have managed to keep a few traditions going,
but most importantly, we have focused on making sweet memories together
no matter where we are or what we are doing on Christmas Day!

Elyse hosted her first Christmas tea for her friends.

Christmas morning!

We
have no idea where we will be next Christmas or what Christmas will
look like at the Toler house. We do know one thing for sure; we can
celebrate His birth in a small cinder block house in the village or in a
large city with a fancy tree. Either way, the Hope that was born over
2000 years ago is worth celebrating.

May
God bless you and your family this Christmas season and into the New
Year! Enjoy your traditions, old and new, but most of all, have fun
making sweet memories together and remember the reason we celebrate!

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Matthew 6:19-20

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."